Card conveying apparatus having a rotary front gauge



(5. C. WRIGHT June 20, 1967 CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT GAUGE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTOR. GERARD c. WRIGHT ATTORNEYS G. c. WRIGHT 3,326,548

FRONT GAUGE June 20, 1967 CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A I20. AR!

6 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed March 1. 1965 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

GERARD C. WRIGHT mm//Z4M ATTORNEYS G. C. WRIGHT June 20, 1967 CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT GAUGE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 1, 1965 INVENTOR. GERARD C. WRIGHT ATTORNEYS FIG. 3

June 20, 1967 G. c. WRIGHT 3,326,548

CARD CONVEYlNG APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT GAUGE Filed March 1, 1965 6 Sheets-$heet 4 FIG. 9 7 FIG. 8

INVENTOR. GERARD C. WRIGHT A T TORNE rs G. c. WRIGHT 3,326,548

CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT" GAUGE June 20, 1967 6 Sheets-Sheet S vFiled March 1, 1965 V /W/MW 7 FIG. 6

' INVENTOR. GERARD C. WRlGHT By June 20, 1967 G. c. WRIGHT 3,326,548

' CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT GAUCF Filed March 1 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet INVENTQR. GERARD C. WRIGHT A T TORNE KS United States Patent 3,326,548 CARD CONVEYING APPARATUS HAVING A ROTARY FRONT GAUGE Gerard C. Wright, Pittsford, N.Y., assignor to Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 436,027 7 Claims. (Cl. 271--53) This invention relates to card handling apparatus and particularly to apparatus for delivering cards or the like into contact with a moving surface.

Data processing cards are currently being used in the reproduction of documentary material. Reduced images of documents such as letters, engineering drawings and the like are being placed on data processing cards by xerographic techniques. The cards containing the images are used to file or store reproductions of the original material. They are also capable of being used to reproduce copies of the original document. Cards of this type are produced on machines such as that disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 436,168, filed on Mar. 1, 1965, in the name of T. H. Galster, A. M. Hitchcock and T. P. Taille.

Microfilm images mounted in apertures of data processing cards have previously been used to reproduce copies of original documents. In systems of the type disclosed in application Ser. No. 436,168, xerographic images are placed directly on the surface of the card, eliminating the need for an aperture or for microfilm. However, the images on the card must be accurately positioned on the surface of the card so that further images reproduced from the image on the card will appear in their proper orientation on a copy sheet. Due to the reduced image size and the small amount of surface area of a data processing card, the tolerances for positioning the image on the card are extremely small. The present invention controls the movement of a data processing card as it comes into surface contact with a Xerographic drum so that a powder image of an original document on the Xerographic drum will appear on the surface of the card in its proper position.

In commonly used card feeding systems a card feeder which feeds cards from the bottom of the stack is used in conjunction with a roller transport system. The feeder pushes a card from the bottom of the stack into the roller transport which moves the card forward to a registration point. The position and timing of the card in the transport system is controlled by the accuracy of the operation of the card feeder. That is, unless the card feeder is extremely accurate in the time at which it places a card in the transport system, the position of the card in the transport system will vary. The accuracy of the card feeder is not reliable since the operation is effected by such factors as the height of the card stack in the feed hopper. Normally card feeders will feed a card within predetermined time limits. This invention relates to a card timing device which intercepts a card in its movement from the card feeder and aligns and spaces the card with greater accuracy than the card feeder.

In the present invention the cards are moved by the transport system at a speed equal to or slightly greater than the speed at which it would intercept a Xerographic drum. A pair of wheels having a series of paddle like extensions about the periphery are positioned in the path of travel of the card so that the paddles intercept the path of movement of the card. The paddles on the surface of the Wheel move at the speed at which the card is to intercept the surface of a Xerographic drum. The card moving through the transport system overtakes the paddles on the wheels and is reduced in speed to the speed of the surface of the xerographic drum. If a powder image has been properly positioned on the surface of the 3,326,548 Patented June 20, 1967 Xerographic drum with respect to the paddles on the Wheels, then the image will be placed on the card in a registered or aligned position.

It is an object of this invention to improve card handling systems to time and space cards moving in the system.

It is a further object of this invention to synchronize the movements of cards in a transport system with the movement of a surface that the card is to contact.

It is also an object of this invention to control the movement of data processing cards in a card transport system.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is had to the following detailed description of the invention to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a Xerographic reproducing apparatus with portions broken away to show internal structure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the Xerographic machine shown in FIG. 1 and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of the drive sysstem of the Xerographic machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of a transport system of the type used with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a paddle wheel suitable for use in the transport system shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a pair of the paddle wheels shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the paddles of the paddle wheels shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a side view with the covers broken away of i a switch box suitable for use with the paddle wheels shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along lines 99 of FIG. 8.

The present invention is suitable for use in a xerographic machine of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and fully disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 436,168, filed Mar. 1, 1965, in the names of T. H. Galster, A. M. Hitchcock and T. P. Taille. The machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is used to xerographically reproduce reduced images of documents onto data processing cards or the like. A document tray, generally designated 2, feeds original documents to a document conveyor 3 and a document scanning station 4. A card conveyor, generally designated 6, is used to transport cards containing images thereon past a card scanning station 8. Light images of material to be reproduced are directed from the scanning stations 4 and 8 through an optical system, generally designated 10, to a Xerographic drum 12. Blank data processing cards or the like are fed from a card hopper 14 to a conveyor 16 and into contact with the xerographic drum 12 at a transfer station 18. Xerographic powder images of the copy being reproduced are transferred to the surface of the card at transfer station 18 and the card is removed from the drum and deposited on a card conveyor system 20. The card is transferred from the conveyor 20 to a second conveyor 22 which carries the card to the top of the machine and transfers it to a third conveyor 24. The conveyor 24 deposits the card in a card receiving hopper 26 where it may be removed by a machine operator. The conveyors 20, 22 and 24 are vacuum type conveyors wherein a vacuum manifold 28 is positioned beneath the surface of the belts in each conveyor and has a series of openings in the top through which air is drawn when the manifold is connected to suitable vacuum source not shown. Perforations in the belts of the conveyor allow air to be drawn through the perforations into the manifold, and the suction produced 3 holds the cards on the conveyor system for transport therewith.

Original documents are carried by the conveyor 3 past the scanning station 4 at which point incremental areas of the material on the documents are illuminated by a pair of lamps LMP-l. Optical images of the illuminated area are reflected by a mirror 30 to a second mirror 31 then downwards through a lens 32 onto the surface of the xerographic drum 12 at an exposure station 34. The optical system 32 reduces the size of the visual material on the documents being scanned to a size sufficient for the entire document to appear on the surface of the data processing card or the like. If a new set of cards are being produced from cards, then the optical system associated with the conveyor 6 in the scanning station 8 is used and the optical image produced by a pair of lamps LMP-2 at the scanning station 8 reflects images upward into a mirror 36 to a lens 38 to a second mirror 40 where it is di- 'rected downward onto the surface of the xerographic drum at the exposure station 34.

Images are produced on the xerographic drum by placing an electrostatic charge on the drum surface with 'a corotron 42, then exposing the drum surface to light images of the copy being reproduced at the exposure station 34 and rotating the drum past a developer station 44. In automatic xerographic machines a rotating drum having a photoconductive material on the surface thereof is used to create and develop electrostatic images of copy being reproduced. A uniform electrostatic charge is placed on the'surface of the photoconductor while the photoconductor is in the dark. At the exposure station the photoconductive surface with the electrostatic charge thereon is exposed to a light image of the copy to be reproduced, and the photoconductor is rendered conductive in areas where it is exposed to light and thus the charge the belt 74 and the clutch on the pulley 64 is overriding the shaft from the gear box. When the electric clutch 72 is not engaged, the shaft 70 is being driven through the slip clutch and pulley 64, belt 74 and pulley 76; and the pulley 68 is idling on the shaft 70 and being driven by the belt 66 and the pulley 62. The shaft 70 is an intermediate shaft for power transmission purposes and extends over to drive a belt 78 which engages a pulley 80 on the end of the last feed roller shaft of the card feeding transport 14. The shaft 70 also drives belt 82 and pulleys 84 on the shaft 86 of the transfer mechanism 16. It can be seen that the speed of the last feed roller 88 of the card feed transport 14 and the speed of the rollers 86 on the transfer unit 16 are dependent upon the speed of the shaft 70 which in turn is governed by actuation of the electric clutch 72 and is synchronized with the operation of either the card conveyor 6 or the document conveyor 3.

A pulley 90, secured to the shaft 70, drives a belt 92 which in turn drives a pulley 94 011 a shaft 96. The shaft 96 is an intermediate shaft used to transmit power to the card conveyor, document conveyor and xerographic drum 12. The document conveyor 3 is driven by is drained off in those areas exposed to light. The areas which are not exposed to light are the image areas of the original document and retain their electrostatic charge inimage configuration. The electrostatic charge in image configuration is developed with a finely divided powder material referred to herein as toner to produce a powder image. As shown at station 44, a continuous bucket type conveyor 46 carries a developer material consisting of glass beads or carrier particles and toner material to a position where it is cascaded over the drum surface. The toner on the carrier beads is attracted by the electrostatic charge on the xerographic drum and is retained there to produce a powder image. The drum continues to rotate to the transfer station 18 wherein the powder image is transferred from the drum surface to the surface of the support material, such as the data processing cards, by means of a transfer corotron 48. The transfer corotron 48 places an electrostatic charge on the back of the support material and attracts the powder from the xerographic drum to the support material. The card.is then carried by the conveyor 20 past a fuser 50 wherein the powder is caused to coalesce and bond to the surface of the card. Residual powder is removed from the drum surface by means of-a brush cleaner 52 which rotates in contact with the surface of the drum.

A main drive motor MOT-1 is located on the base plate of the machine as seen in FIG. 3. Power is transmitted to the various components of the machine through a gear box 60 and a pair of output pulleys 62 and 64. When the card conveyor 6 is in operation, the pulley 62 is driving a belt 66, which in turn drives a pulley 68 on shaft 70. The pulley 68 is either driving or not driving the shaft 70 depending on whether or not an electric clutch 72 is engaged. When the document conveyor 3 is in operation, power is transmitted from the pulley 64 to the shaft 70 by means of belt 74 and pulley 76 on shaft 70. A slip clutch, not shown, connects the pulley 64 to the shaft of the gear box 60 so that when the shaft 70 is being driven from the pulley 62, that is, when the electric clutch 72 is engaged, the pulley 76 is driving means of a pulley 98 on the shaft 96 and drives belt 100 which supplies power to the drive roll of the document conveyor 3. The card conveyor 6 is driven by the pulley 102 which drives a belt 104 to supply power to the drive roll of the card conveyor 6.

The xerographic drum 12 is mounted on a shaft 106 which is also driven from the shaft 96 by means of pulley 108, belt 110' and pulley 112.

- A card timer 114 in the card conveyor 6 and a card timer 116 in the card transport 16 are driven from the shaft 118 by means of a pulley 120, belt 122 and a pulley 124 on the shaft 118 of the card timer 116. A second pulley 126 on the shaft 118 drives a belt 128 which,-

in turn, drives a pulley 238 on the shaft of the card timers 114. Therefore, the timing of the cards both in the scanning of the card in the card conveyor 6 and the cards being fed to the xerographic drum 12 are synchronized with the movement of the xerographic drum 12 so that the images being reproduced appear on "the card within required tolerances.

A separate drive motor MOT2 is used to drive a belt 130 which operates the card picker on the feed card hopper 14. A separate motor MOT3 is also used to drive a cam 132 which actuates an arm 134 to drive the card picked in the card feed hopper 136. The drive for the developer system in the developer housing 44 consists of a separate MOT-4 and belt and gear train 138.

The card conveyor systems 20, 22 and 24 are driven by a motor MOTS which, in turn, drives a gear train 139 coupled to the rollers'140 and 142. The roller 142 drives the conveyor 24, and the roller drives the conveyor 22.v Power is transmitted by the belts of the conveyor 22 to the lower roller 144 which, in turn, transmits power through gear 146 to gear 148 which is mounted on the shaft of the roller 150 in the card transport system 20.

Blank cards are fed from a stack 152 in card feeding hopper 14 to the card conveyor 16. The card transport system 16, as seen in FIG. 4, is made up of a pair of side frame plates 154 mounted in parallel relation on the main frame of the machine and spaced apart by a base plate 156. Mounted on the base plate 156 between the side frames 154 are a pair of parallel card guide plates 158. The guide plates 158 each consist of two members 160 and 162. The lower member 162 is secured to the base plate 156, and the upper guide plate 160 is supported by and spaced from the side plates 154 .by a series of spacer bars 164. A slot 166 is formed between the plates 160 and 162 of a size sufiicient to permit passage of cards moving through the transport system. The front end of the slot 280 is flared to receive cards from the feed hopper 14. The cards emerge from the slot 166 just prior to the xerographic drum 12 and are directed mto contact with the drum by means of a deflection plate 168 supported from the side frames 154. A pair of guides 170 mounted on the lower guide plates 162 may be adjusted upward or downward to change the angle of exit of the cards from the slot 166.

The whole transport assembly 16 is adjustable relative to the drum 12 and the card feeder 14. The side frames 154 are held to the main frame of the machine by means of removable clamps 172 which engage flanges on the inside of the frame plates. Flanges 174, on the outside of the frame plates 154, abut positioning screws 176 which pass through an adjustment block 178 on the main frame. The adjusting screw 176 is locked in position once the transport system is properly adjusted by a lock nut 180.

As a card is fed from the hopper 14, the leading edge enters the flared end of the guide slot 166 and extends between a first feed roll 182 and idler roll 184 mounted on a pair of shafts 186 and 188, respectively. The shaft 188 containing the idler rollers 184 is rotatably mounted in elongated slots 190 in the lower guide plates 162. A leaf spring 192, secured to a flange 194 on the base plate 156, presses against the shaft 184 forcing the shaft upward in the elongated slots against the feed rollers 182. The shaft 186 extends through the upper guide plates 160 and is journaled in the side frame plates 154. The shaft 186 is driven by a motor MOT-6 through a gear box 196, timing belt 198 and a pulley 200, mounted on the end of the shaft 186.

As the card is forced between the feed roller 182 and the idler roller 184, it is driven forward by the feed roller in the guide slot 166 towards a second set of feed and idler rollers 202 and 204, respectively. The idler roller 204 is mounted on a shaft 206 journaled in slots in the lower guide plate 162 in the same manner as the shaft 188. A leaf spring 208 urges the shaft 206 upward so that the idler roller 204 presses against the feed roller 202. The feed roller 202 is mounted on a shaft 210 which extends through the upper guide plate 160 and is journaled in the side frame plates 154. One end of the shaft 210 extends through one of the side frame plates 154 and has a pulley 212 mounted thereon for driving engagement with a belt 214, as described below. The card is moved forward by the feed rollers 202 to the next set of feed rollers 216 on shaft 218 and idler rollers 220 on shaft 222. The shafts 218 and 222 are mounted in the same manner as the shafts 210 and 206. The shaft 222 is urged upward by a leaf spring 224 so that the idler rollers 220 press against the feed rollers 216. The shaft 218 also extends through the side frame plate 154 and has a pulley 226 mounted thereon for engagement with the belt 214. The card is moved forward by the feed roller 216 in the slot 166 so that it engages the last set of feed rollers 228 and idler rollers 230. The rollers 228 and 230 are mounted on shafts 232 and 234 respectively. The shafts 232 and 234 are mounted in the same manner as the shafts 218 and 222, and the shaft 234 is urged upwardly so that the rollers 230 contact the rollers 228 by a leaf spring 236. A pulley 238 is mounted on one end of the shaft 232 in driving engagement with a belt 240 which transmits power to the other feed rollers, as described below. On the other end of the shaft 232 a pulley 242 engages a belt 78, as seen in FIG. 3.

The pressure between the idler rollers and the feed rollers is such that slippage may occur between the rollers and the card except for the last set of rollers 228 and 230. When a card is delayed by the card timing device prior to engaging the last set of rollers, the rollers will slip. After passing the card timing device, indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 4, the last set of feed rollers propel the card forward toward the drum 12 at the same speed as the surface speed of the drum. Thus, once the correct timing of the card is established for image registration purposes by the card timing device, the card speed is coordinated with the drum speed.

The transport system 16 is driven by the belt 78 from a drive motor MOT-1, as described above. The belt 78 drives the pulley 242 which in turn drives the shaft 232 and the rollers 228. Rotation of the shaft 232 provides the driving force for the feed rollers 216 and 202 through the pulley 238 and the belt 240. The belt 240 drives a pulley 246, secured to an idler shaft 248. Also secured to the idler shaft 248 is a second pulley 250 which engages and drives the belt 214. The belt 214 passes around and drives the pulley 226 on the shaft 218 of the feed roller 216, and the pulley 212 on the shaft 210 of the feed rollers 202. The belt 214 is maintained in tension by two adjustable tensioning rollers 252 and 254.

As the cards move along the guide slot 166 of the transport system 16, they encounter a card timing device shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4 and indicated generally as 260 in FIG. 3. The timing apparatus 260 is mounted on a shaft 262 immediately beneath the transport system 16. The timing device 260 consists of two disc-shaped members 116 mounted on the shaft 262 and extending between the side frames 154 and the guide plates 158 of the transport system 16. Attached to the circumference of the disc member 116 are leaf springs 264, seen in detail in FIG. 7. The leaf springs 264 are secured to extension 268 on the circumference of the disc member 116 by screws 270. The free end of the leaf springs 264 support a card timing plate 274 secured to the springs by screws 276. The area between the extensions 268 is undercut to allow the card timing plates 274 to be deflected down- Ward into the space between the extensions 268.

As a card is advanced by the feed rollers in the transport 14, the leading edge encounters one of the card timing plates 274 on each of the card timers 116. The feed rollers 218 are driving the card at a speed slightly faster than the linear movement of the plates 274, and the card is retarded in its movement so that a slight amount of slippage is produced between the feed rollers and the card. With the leading edge of the card abutting the card timing plate 274, the card cannot advance to the xerographic drum until the card timing plate is rotated to a point sufiicient to permit passage of the card. Thus, the card is controlled by the plates 274 and released at the time at which the card be accurately positioned relative to the xerographic drum. When the card is released to the last set of feed rollers, it is moved forward by the feed rollers at the same speed as the surface of the drum. With this type of arrangement, the timing of the card to the xerographic drum can be closely coordinated with the scanning of cards or documents in the scanning system. As the card timing assemblies 116 rotate, subsequent card timing plates 274 encounter the bottom of the card abutting one of the card timing plates and are deflected downward into the undercut areas between the extensions 268. The deflection downward and the return to their normal position after the card has passed is accomplished by the leaf springs 264.

The shaft 262, upon which the assemblies 116 are mounted, extends into a gear and switch housing 276 seen in detail in FIGS. 8 and 9. The shaft 262 is journaled in a bearing 278 mounted in a frame plate 280 making up one side of the housing 276. A gear 282 is secured to the end of the shaft 262 and rotates a pair of magnets 284 and 286 secured to gear 288. The gear 288 is mounted on a stub shaft 290 journaled in the frame plate 280, and the gear for magnet 286 is secured to a shaft journaled in the same manner, though not shown. Immediately adjacent each of the magnets 284-and 286 are a pair of reed switches 292 and 294, respectively. The reed switches are mounted from brackets 296 secured to the side of the housing 276. As the shaft 262 rotates, the gear 282 drives the gears 288 at a speed twelve times the rotational movement of the shaft 262. The difference in speed between the shaft 262 and the rotation of the magnets 288 is equal to the number of card timing plates 274 on the card timing assemblies 116, in this case twelve.

The reed switches 292 and 294 are used to time the feeding of documents to the xerographic machine so that the image of the document will appear on the drum in proper registration to ultimately coincide with the position at which a blank card reaches the drum surface. As shown herein, the switches would control the feeding of documents to the conveyor 3 so that the documents pass the scanning station 4 in timed relation to the blank card in transport 16.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Card handling apparatus for use in delivering cards into timed contact, at a synchronousspeed, with a moving surface, including a card feeding means,

means to forward cards through a path of movement from the card feeding means to the moving surface,

a pair of disc-shaped card timing members rotatably mounted adjacent to the path of movement of the cards and having a series of timing plates about the periphery extending into the path of movement of the cards to restrain the forward edge of said cards and time the cards in their movement towards the moving surface,

the timing plates being located on the periphery of the card timing members in position to control the alignment and the time at which the forward edges of cards will contact the moving surface,

and means to rotate the card timing members so that the timing plates advance through path of movement of the cards at a speed which permits the cards to advance at the speed of the moving surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the timing plates are secured to the card timing member by flexible arms which permit the timing plates to be deflected out of the path ofmovement of the cards.

3. Card handling apparatus for use in delivering cards into timed contact at a synchronous speed with a moving surface, including a card feeder adapted to feed cards seriatim,

a pair of card guides extending from the card feeder to a position in close proximity to the moving surface,

a series of feed rollers and idler rollers positioned to move cards through a path of movement from the card feeder along the card guides, the idler rollers being biased against the feed rollers to force the cards against the feed rollers with a force sufficient to produce movement of unrestrained cards,

a delivery roller and an idler roller positioned near the moving surface to receive cards from the-feed rollers and deliver them to the moving surface,

means to drive the feed rollers at a speed greater than the speed of the moving surface and the delivery rollers at a speed such that cards will be forwarded by the rollers at the same speed as the moving surface, a

and a pair of disc-shaped card timing members rotatably mounted adjacent the path of movement of the cards and having a series of timing plates about the periphery extending into the path of movement of cards being conveyed by the feed rollers to there- 8 by engage a forward edge of a card and restrain and time the movement of the cards to the delivery roller,

and means to rotate the card timing members in synchronous relation to the movement of the surface which the cards are to contact.

4. A card conveyor including a pair of side frames spaced apart a distance sufiicient to allow passage of cards to be conveyed,

a series of feed rollers journaled in the side frames in the path of movement of the cards,

a loosely journaled idler roller mounted between the side frames adjacent each feed roller,

biasing means adapted to force the idler rollers into contact with the feed rollers with a pressure sufficient to effect movement of cards extending between the idler rollers and feed rollers,

a pair of card timing members rotatably mounted adjacent the feed rollers and idler rollers and having a'series of timing plates extending outwardly from the periphery into the path of movement of cards being conveyed by the feed rollers,

means to rotate the card timing members so that the timing plates move in the direction of card movement at the desired speed of card travel,

and means to drive the feed rollers at a speed in excess of the speed of the timing plates so that a forward edge of a card being conveyed will contact a timing plate and advance at the speed of the card timing plate,

said feed rollers and idler rollers being adapted to allow slippage when the movement of the card is restricted.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means to rotate the card timing members includes means to synchronize the position of the timing plates with said moving surfaces.

6. Card handling apparatus for forwarding cards from a card feeder through a path of-travel to a subsequent moving surface including a pair of disk shaped card timing members rotatably mounted adjacent to the path of travel of said cards and having'a series of timing plates extending into the path of travel and being capable of restraining the forward edge of the cards being forwarded towards said moving surface,

said timing plates being located on the timing members to control the time and position at which the forward edge of said cards contacts the moving surface and the timing plates being secured to the timing members by flexible arms capable of being deflected out of the path of travel of the cards, means operable to control the rotation of the timing plates through the path of travel whereby the cards are forwarded at substantially the speed of said moving surface. i 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein further means are provided along the path of travel intermediate the timing members and said moving surface to positively drive said cards at the same speed as the moving surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,247,134 6/1941 Roethe 271-53 X 2,677,542 5/1954 Backhouse et al. 27l53 X 2,944,812 7/1960 Winkler et al. 271-58 X M. HENSON WOOD, JR, Primary Examiner.

ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Examiner. 

1. CARD HANDLING APPARATUS FOR USE IN DELIVERING CARDS INTO TIMED CONTACT, AT A SYNCHRONOUS SPEED, WITH A MOVING SURFACE, INCLUDING A CARD FEEDING MEANS, MEANS FOR FORWARD CARDS THROUGH A PATH OF MOVEMENT FROM THE CARD FEEDING MEANS TO THE MOVING SURFACE, A PAIR OF DISC-SHAPED CARD TIMING MEMBERS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE CARDS AND HAVING A SERIES OF TIMING PLATES ABOUT THE PERIPHERY EXTENDING INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE CARDS TO RESTRAIN THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID CARDS MOVING SURFACE, THE TIMING PLATES LOCATED ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE CARD TIMING MEMBERS IN POSITION TO CONTROL THE ALIGNMENT AND THE TIME AT WHICH THE FORWARD EDGES OF CARDS WILL CONTACT THE MOVING SURFACE, AND MEANS TO ROTATE THE CARD TIMING MEMBERS SO THAT THE TIMING PLATES ADVANCE THROUGH PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE CARDS AT A SPEED WHICH PERMITS THE CARDS TO ADVANCE AT THE SPEED OF THE MOVING SURFACE. 